Let's be clear folks- I am not naive to not get it, that we are living in the real world- a world where we have
responsibilities, pressure, stress, expectations, roles and role models that we strive to emulate and learn from- this is a
world of competition, abundance in some areas, yet immense scarcity in others (the paradox of our modern times?),
increased complexity in life with myriad and growing demands on our time. It is not easy being a "good" son, a good
father, a good brother, a good husband, a good neighbor etc. The list goes on and on. we are torn by the numerous pulls,
nudges and pushes that are made on us and to us, by our key stakeholders- family, friends, bosses, co-workers, teachers,
politicians, institutions etc. I am not suggesting that we run away from the real world, and go and take refuge in a cave, in
isolation on some god-forsaken mountain, far from the noise, mess and edifice of the modern society and environment
where we live, awake, sleep and breathe on a daily basis. What I am suggesting, however, and very humbly is-Balance.
Let’s not go overboard in one direction to the blind neglect of the other legs of the stool- create a balance, maintain the
balance, grow the balance and preserve the balance....
How does one do that- easier said than done. Here is my12 degrees of freedom and happiness list, that enables one to
attempt to create the balance- there is no silver bullet and fool-proof plan or manuscript to follow, which can lead us to the
fabled Manna and the Nirvana state. This is my attempt to take the first step towards a more balanced, fulfilling and
happier life1) Give first- Don't be focused on taking, focus on giving.... There is a great, simple yet powerful book called " Go Givers
Get More"-I would highly recommend, giving that a read, in case you haven't already. The follow up question to that ishow do you give, what do you give, in what frequency etc- the simple answer to this follow up question is- give in
whatever way, form, format and frequency that makes the most sense for you, given your situation and circumstancessome volunteer at the church, some do one good deed a day, some mentor folks, some prepare boxed lunches at Feed My
Starving Children. You can do even more basic kind of giving- give respect and take care of the less fortunate. Giving is a
topic in itself, which I will reserve for a different discussion. The bottom line is Give- be a man, do the right thing, take
the first step. Don't get caught up in the paralysis by analysis loop that we all know well.
2) Read- educate yourself- it’s not necessary to be a PhD in Strategic Management from London Business School or MITwe live in the internet age, where all knowledge is freely available and accessible- it is up to us, if we want to leverage it
and read it. Focus on, not acquiring 3 letter abbreviations, but the basic skills and tablestakes that are needed to be
successful in life-the things they don't teach you at business school or an engineering/medicine/finance institution
3) Do not attempt to make everyone happy- you will never please everyone, irrespective of how hard you try and what
you do- so don't even try to. Just do your best and leave the rest...
4)Set realistic expectations- many times, the folks closest to you, will seem the farthest. If you expect people to get you, to
understand what you are doing, to espouse the path you are treading, and the direction in which you are going, and to
support you, you are setting up yourself for recurring and sustainable disappointment. The road is far and deep-it is a
lonely road and you have many more miles to go, before you can sleep. Do not expect or seek to have someone walk the
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